American Airlines is the most considered carrier among US flyers in 2024, with 48% considering the airline when booking tickets, a new YouGov report finds. Meanwhile, Americans identified UAE-based carrier Emirates as providing the highest customer satisfaction.
YouGov’s US airlines report 2024 analyzes the state of the commercial aviation industry, profiling US flyers and their feelings about the airlines they fly.
Key findings in the report include:
- American Airlines is the most considered airline among US flyers (48% of those considering booking a flight in the next 12 months), though men are most likely to consider United Airlines (50%) and women are most likely to consider Delta Air Lines (47%)
- Emirates has the most satisfied flyers with a 75.1 net customer satisfaction score in the past 12 months, while easyJet increased customer satisfaction most year-over-year (+14.1)
- United Airlines is the most considered airline among Gen Z while American Airlines is winning with Millennials (45% of Gen Z consider United Airlines and 51% of Millennials consider American Airlines)
- Among the top 10 most flown carriers, Spirit Airlines has the lowest customer satisfaction rating (-8.6)
- Delta’s SkyMiles rewards program has the highest membership among US flyers (21%)
- Men are more likely than women to shop Duty Free when traveling (41% vs 37%)
"Although it's no surprise to see the big three of American, United, and Delta flying far above the rest in purchase consideration, upon deeper analysis we see some interesting differences in the preferences of US air travelers," said Kenton Barello VP at YouGov America. "While Spirit Airlines does not rank in the top 10 most considered airlines among Americans, it is in the top 10 most flown. This indicates that flyers are not always buying what they set out to during the purchase process, suggesting smart positioning for Spirit Airlines - and lost opportunities for other airlines.”
Leveraging insights from YouGov’s research panel of 6+million Americans, including syndicated data from YouGov BrandIndex and YouGov Profiles, this report delves into flyer characteristics, preferences and more.
YouGov’s report is available for download here.
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